PHOENIX (BP) – The newly released Christian Standard Bible gives Southern Baptists an unparalleled opportunity to uphold the fidelity of God’s Word, reported Thom S. Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, to messengers at the 2017 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting.
“We, the Southern Baptist Convention, will be the stewards of this translation,” Rainer said during his report on June 14. “God has shown us favor.”
Faithful stewardship of God’s Word has been critical in Southern Baptist history, Rainer noted as he introduced the inaugural Christian Standard Bible Award. He congratulated its first recipient, R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., since 1993.
While the CSB was the focus of LifeWay’s presentation, Rainer also noted in his report that Forbes magazine named LifeWay one of America’s best midsized employers for 2017. The honor, based primarily on employees’ recommendations of their employer, reflects the commitment and fidelity of LifeWay employees, he said.
During his report, Rainer highlighted two new resources from LifeWay – the popular She Reads Truth Bible and Technicolor, a book by Mark Hearn, pastor of First Baptist Church, Duluth, Ga. Technicolor tells the story of how First Duluth transformed from a monolithic Anglo-American congregation to a cross-cultural community with members from 37 different countries.
Rainer also gave an update on the construction of LifeWay’s new corporate headquarters. LifeWay sold its current site in downtown Nashville in late 2015 and will move in November to a more efficient facility in nearby Capitol View, a mixed-use urban development.